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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to stage a dirty protest outside carphone warehouse?

13 replies

BelleateSebastian · 21/09/2014 08:51

beyond irked! current phone (orange) contract about to end so ordered my shiny new (vodafone) phone which arrived on Friday.

requested the code to keep my original number in new phone, so I came to set it up, got so far and it said the new 'SIM' was invalid, I tried the helpline number but was told there was 60 minute backlog of calls, put on hold and had some hideous weirdly distorted music blasted at me, clearly designed to pierce my eardrums and make me hang up and never phone again!

I tried again with renewed determination and vigour, surely it couldnt be that hard?! same message came up .... I thought I would try my old SIM (to see if it was the phone or the SIM that was faulty) and it worked!!

Soo, yesterday I took my '2 phones' to the carphone warehouse to see if they would do the necessaries and make my new one do what it was supposed to and was told I had probably 'locked' shiny new phone to old contract by inserting the old SIM, my phone would probably explode and my husbands balls would be infested with the fleas of a thousand donkeys and I would have to PAY to have it unlocked!!

I'm disproportionately stressed about this (had my gall bladder out on Tuesday so feeling a bit fragile and weak) and whilst perhaps not seriously considering the dirty protest, or taking the man from CPW onto 'Judge Rinder' as my 10 year old dS haughtily informed him I would! Im refusing to bloody pay to unlock my phone .... what shall I do? Confused

OP posts:
loudarts · 21/09/2014 08:55

You cannot lock a phone by inserting a SIM, if it's unlocked (as they generally are from the carphone warehouse) then it's unlocked. Unfortunately it seems you spoke to someone who didn't have the slightest idea what he was talking about. There might be something you have to do to register the new SIM card with Vodafone to make it valid. It might be worth giving them a ring.

Jennco · 21/09/2014 10:03

When I needed my phone unlocked from o2 they sent me a list of instructions via email.

My sim and phone were both from them too.

Have you tried contacting Vodafone and see what they say? (did the phone come from them?
Good Luck

Jennco · 21/09/2014 10:10

Oh hang on, I think I misread :( Your new sim wont work in your new phone?

Then you need to go back and demand that you get the new phone and new sim synced, forget the old sim, its not relevant. Apparently it should work within 24 hours.

If all else fails, can you cancel the contract (if its within a certain amount of days) and start again?

BelleateSebastian · 21/09/2014 10:38

Thanks Jennco and Loudarts my mood wasn't helped by phoning CPW this morning to be greeted with a 'Our offices are now closed, we are open 8am-7pm Mon to Sun' message ... this was at 9.30am - cockwombles. The man in the shop haughtily informed me he was the manager and I wouldn't get a better result (ie not paying to have it unlocked) of anyone else and he would refuse to accept it back off me!!

I tried Vodafone, they couldn't help as the SIM hasn't been registered with them yet! I will just parcel it all up and send it back tomorrow if no joy!!

OP posts:
EatingMyWords · 21/09/2014 10:59

I had this and I'm just using the old sim!

HandbagCrazy · 21/09/2014 11:26

I think it depends if you ordered the phone through car phone warehouse (because if you did then they usually set it up for you before you take it home) or if you ordered from Vodafone the took it to carphone warehouse when it wouldn't work, because then they're right to question what the problem is.
From your posts you seem overly annoyed about this which I can't really figure out (I have also had my gallbladder out but it didn't make me more irritable then normal).

BelleateSebastian · 21/09/2014 11:57

handbagcrazy my phone is from the carphone warehouse online, it is with the vodafone network.

the op hasnt made me irritable, I had to wait instore, under a freezing air con unit for 45minutes and my staples were hurting ... that made me irritable Grin

OP posts:
BelleateSebastian · 21/09/2014 11:59

eatingmywords I can't keep using my old SIM as I need to cancel it otherwise I will be paying for 2 contracts Smile

OP posts:
MrsMinton · 21/09/2014 12:04

You have the right to cancel a new contract within 14 days of it starting so if you can get in touch with the online store you ordered from then you could cancel and return to them and start again!

PhaedraIsMyName · 21/09/2014 12:05

Why did you go to Carphone warehouse if you ordered the phone from Vodafone? Try a Vodafone shop if your contract and phone is from them.

You can't lock a phone just by inserting a sim in it.

BelleateSebastian · 21/09/2014 12:31

I probably will cancel the whole thing Phaedra.

Carphone warehouse is like a broker MrsMinton, it sells contracts with all the phone providers - usually at a better rate than the phone company.

OP posts:
EatingMyWords · 21/09/2014 12:34

They've automatically cancelled one of my contracts if I'm reading the website properly...I hope!

ajandjjmum · 21/09/2014 12:45

Carphone Warehouse don't care about their customers.

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